Moving On
by IronForce
Summary: ENDGAME SPOILERS! Also contains spoilers for the movie Source Code. When returning the Stones, Steve decides to leave Vormir for last, where Red Skull reveals an interesting but dangerous opportunity. Romanogers.
1. Chapter 1

His task was nearly complete. Traveling into the past, he had returned the other Stones and the Hammer. Now only Vormir and the Soul Stone remained. Steve could honestly not even explain to himself why he had chosen that order. As returning it was tied to Natasha's sacrifice that had been required to get it in the first place, it was obviously the heaviest emotionally. So why not get it over with as the very first thing? Even more so, as doing it this way had required a return trip to the platform, which had the others worried at first.

But there he was now, climbing the grim stone path up to the mountain top, against the backdrop of the eternal purple sunset and the just as equally grim peaks in the distance.

He would meet Red Skull, give the Stone back to him … and then it would be over. He could return for real this time.

* * *

Being dead was not quite what she had imagined. She would just have expected a complete lack of existence.

She was not even sure what it was. Was she inside the Soul Stone somehow? Or just in a dimension somewhere completely elsewhere, perhaps tied to Vormir in some way?

What it was exactly mattered little. In practice it was her own private reality.

She could move through places she recalled – The Avengers HQ, Clint's farm, the Camp Lehigh bunker where the disembodied Doctor Zola had talked to her and Steve, or even the dreaded Red Room. But all of them were devoid of anyone else. Indeed, her private reality.

So most often she would just return to the Avengers facility, and put her feet up on the desk like in the old times. In the long years after the Snap, until they got the lead on Thanos, there had not been much of a sense of purpose … and obviously, now even less.

Though Natasha knew what her purpose had been. She could only hope that it had allowed the rest to succeed. To bring back all the others that had been lost.

In her more bitter moments, she thought that was all she had been good for. Clint had been just as eager to sacrifice himself, but in case the team succeeded, he had a wife and kids to go back to. They needed him. Whereas for Natasha, she knew she had been far more expendable.

* * *

Red Skull grinned.

"You give the Stone back, and we can pretend you were never here, and it never even left this place," he said.

Steve was ready to respond with something laconic –

"Obviously, what we can't pretend is that the sacrifice never took place. But I take it you had no such illusions?"

"Of course not," Steve replied bluntly, trying to remain calm.

Red Skull was definitely trying to get under his skin even now. To sour and dilute his sense of accomplishment. But Steve knew whatever the freak said would matter very little now. They had completed their mission, and Steve was just about to finish wrapping up … and yes, Natasha would still be lost. Just like Tony too.

In hindsight, in just numbers, the price they had paid was surprisingly small.

In his heart, the cost weighed much more. If it meant she got to live, Steve would have traded places with Natasha any day, without question. But how it had went down could no longer be changed.

Red Skull seemed to not even be finished, and Steve grew agitated. He could just throw the stone down on the rocks, punch the button on the quantum device and be on his way, while that sucker would be stuck here forever.

"What you may not know … is that the Soul Stone has other … properties."

Steve's mind went on full alert. Don't listen! he commanded himself. If he's talking like that, it must be some kind of trap.

"I'm not an expert in the full sense that would be required to understand it, but just like acquiring the stone … it's built on the principle of connection."

Steve changed his stance slightly. You can listen, but do nothing he says!

"Let me preface that I have not tried this myself. But should you submerge yourself to the waters below, you may be able to connect with someone the Stone has already claimed, and who is dear to you as well. And no, you can't use that opportunity to bring that someone back."

"There must be a catch," Steve said hoarsely.

"Well, nothing more malicious than Nature itself. Your physical body would be obviously … drowning. So you wouldn't want to stay for too long."

Steve had to fight the spinning feeling in his head. Would this be real at all? To get to see Natasha one more time, even briefly, would mean much to him. It would be one huge loose end tied up. They would probably just end up bickering about "moving on" yet again, but who knew, maybe doing that one more time would be the push he needed.

And if he was to perish while doing that …

The Earth had been saved. His task, at least for the time being, was done. In his line of work, he took lethal risks all the time. This, he told himself, was no less worthy risk to take. Even if it could be constructed as selfish. Bending the rules just to ease his own heart.


	2. Chapter 2

Sinking down into the cold waters of Vormir went against his every instinct.

Steve knew he had disobeyed his own rule. He was now doing exactly what Red Skull had enticed him to do.

But given his enhanced capabilities, he would also be able to stay underwater much longer than normal humans. If this truly worked, it would be just a brief trip to say hello and goodbye to Natasha one last time. Then he would be on his way back.

The darkness of the water intensified, and Steve felt like his mind was being transported elsewhere. Surprisingly much like just falling asleep.

* * *

Something alerted Natasha before she even saw or heard anything. A kind of sixth sense that something had changed. While still sitting on the Avengers office swivel chair, she darted her head right …

And saw the Captain standing in the doorway.

"Hey Nat," he said.

Natasha was so spooked that she almost fell. What the hell? There never was anyone else in these places she imagined. This had to mean she was losing it.

She blinked, twice even, and also pinched herself, but Steve refused to go away.

"There was … an opportunity to stop by, so I took it. We won, by the way. How are you doing?"

The voice was very convincing. Warm even, with a hint of genuine concern at the end.

"You're not real," Natasha replied while standing up slowly. "If I'm imagining things, not so well I suppose."

They stood on opposite sides of the room. Steve took a step closer.

"Anything I can do to help?" he asked.

Natasha observed her voice rising. "Well, if I'm not imagining you, you could start by explaining how the hell you got here! Does this mean you're dead too?"

If this was Steve for real, Natasha thought he deserved better than her snapping at him. But that was a thought quickly discarded, as she heard the explanation.

"No, I'm fine. Unless ... I stay too long. Basically I was on a mission to return the Stones, and I'm just about done. But the lake at Vormir – it turns out, it's a gateway. In my case, it was a gateway … to you. So like I said, I took it."

"You what? You don't mess with that place! It was already bad enough that I had to kill myself!"

Steve held his hands up, ready to take a step back.

"Right. It wasn't the best idea ..."

"Damn right. And if you don't have the sense to leave while you still have time, I'll have to kick your ass out of the door!"

Natasha still was not sure if this was just her imagining everything. If so, no harm done. If not … she was sure of doing the right thing. She could not have Steve's life on her conscience, just because he was stupid enough to find a way to meet her … in the beyond. So if she could just help it, she would do whatever necessary to drive him back. This existence had to be non-physical, so she could not actually hurt him. Right?

She planted her feet firmly on the floor and assumed a combat-ready stance.

"Let's just talk. For a moment. I can survive that long," Steve pleaded.

"I can't take that chance," Natasha snapped back and charged with her fists up.

They collided in the middle of the room, with Steve going quickly on the defensive, trying to fend off her blows. Natasha could tell he was not giving his 100% yet, and that served to enrage her even further. Don't fight me with kid gloves, she thought.

A thought at the back of her head reminded how perverse this was, happening now. When the Avengers had been divided, she had helped him instead of fighting, and caught severe flak for that. That they would fight now, when all conflict should have been over, was simply not right.

But sometimes things just were not right. Like his decision to come here in the first place.

Too deep in thought, Natasha's concentration was broken and the Cap got a gut punch in. The pain almost barely registered, but Natasha knew she was wasting time, allowing herself to get hit. She just needed to up her offensive.

"Natasha! Just a moment! I don't want to hurt you, and I also don't want that we part ways like this!" Steve shouted.

Almost cutting out his words, Natasha's next punch nailed him in the jaw. He staggered back, seemingly disoriented. She just needed to keep this up. If this was all in the mind, he might even vanish back to his physical reality once she managed to knock him out, and then her job would be done.

As if drunk, Steve spun around one final time.

And too late, Natasha knew he was going to do something unexpected. Something unfair.

He launched himself into the air and twisted his body, aiming to land into Natasha's lap. And she was too close to get clear.

The assault of his full body weight on her was brutal, and she just could not keep balance. She fell, hitting her head against the floor, and the lights went out.


	3. Chapter 3

It should never have happened like this, Steve thought. He had thought of this "special move" as a gentle way to end the fight, but it had turned out to be much less than gentle.

He knew time was likely running out for him, if not already out. He should have been back in his physical body already.

But he just could not leave Natasha like that after knocking her out.

He sat on the floor, cradling her unmoving form. What else there was to do now? It felt bad to see her so seemingly at peace, when it was a result of his aggressive action. He hoped that if this place was not exactly physical, then injuries would also not be as severe as in the real reality, and she would wake up soon.

True enough, it was not long before she began to move and opened her eyes.

"Oww," she said, almost with some humor in her voice.

"I'm sorry," Steve said back. "I should have found some … more peaceful solution."

Natasha was silent for a moment, then spoke quietly. "I don't think there was any. I was so dead-set on kicking your ass. Is it … too late for you already?"

At least she was not angry any more. They both could be very stubborn and hot-headed when pushed, and Steve could imagine himself behaving the exact same way had the roles been reversed.

"I'm not sure. But before I go, I want to make sure things are all right for you. If ..."

Steve's words stuck in his mouth. That was just stupid. If you had first sacrificed yourself not so long ago, and then got your ass handed to you, obviously things would not be all right.

* * *

Natasha imagined herself before a fork in the road. She could just say that things were as OK as they could be, and Steve really should be on his way. Or … she could open up about how she felt in here, in her darkest moments.

The latter choice could just be fatal for him.

Natasha feared he would not be capable of leaving after hearing what she had on her mind. But almost without conscious control, the words started pouring out, and then they could not be stopped.

"Well, if you allow yourself to think of it … it of course made perfect sense that I gave my life, and not Clint. He had too much to lose, while I don't have all that much. I'm this … thing … they made and trained. I'm not capable of, or even worth of life in the same way as the rest of you, and therefore it's the least loss. There really wasn't a choice."

Natasha observed Steve to hold her closer. It was what a part of her mind longed to happen, while the other screamed at her that how selfish she was being now. It could be thought of as murdering him indirectly.

"Nat, that is simply not true," Steve breathed. "You can't say that when you practically were the heart of the Avengers. We all were devastated, but the cruel thing was, there was still a war to fight. We couldn't stop to mourn you properly. But … if that's how you think, then I will stay here as long as it takes until I convince you it's not so."

It was just as Natasha had feared. And Steve was not even finished.

"But, you know, we're not that far apart. I'm the man out of time. And place. No matter how I try, I don't really belong. So I'll put it this way … if I die doing that, neither of us should feel guilty. There's nothing else I should have been doing."

Natasha could tell he was being very honest. Apparently for Steve, that would be his choice, his way of moving on.

She would not agree, but what there was to do? In the very least she would not fight him again.

"I really appreciate hearing that," Natasha replied. "And it felt good to get it off my chest. Should we look for an exit for you now?"

Seemingly in agreement, Steve made to stand up. Since he had been holding onto her the whole time, Natasha went up with him, almost as if he did not even notice it at first. She looked at his face to see him just a little embarrassed.

"Right. We could. And hey, I got to do that again."

He was almost cheerful saying that. Then, he let Natasha back down on her feet. But it got her thinking …

"When you were returning the Stones … you were jumping in time again? How did you transport them?"

"Yes. You can make further jumps into the past with the handheld quantum device. And the Stones were just in a container with me."

"OK. And you still have the device on you, even here."

Natasha did consider the possibility that in here, it was just some non-functioning replica. But hey, don't let too complicated thinking spoil an idea!

"Could we use it to jump both of us out of here?" she asked.

Steve shook his head.

"That's a different thing. I think you would need your own device. And not to be too morbid, but you're … dead. It can't jump someone dead back to life. Though … it's strange that I met you here at all. It got me thinking ..."

The Cap was lost in thought for a moment.

"When I was trying to get to know, you know, the pop culture of the present, I watched a lot of movies. One was kind of intriguing, but gross. Came out the same year I got out of ice. This guy was jumping in and out of a time bomb situation, but he wasn't there for real. It was a simulation. He had just half of his own body left, so they had made him a guinea pig for the technology. But in the end, after saving the day, he basically jumped out of the loop. And stayed in the new reality he had created. I wonder …"

"If we could do something similar?"

"Yeah. It wouldn't even break the rules. I mean, the rest of the Avengers would never see you again, but we could ... have our extended vacation."

Natasha honestly liked the sound of that. It certainly would beat staying here thousandfold.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve was not sure whether it made a difference, to make the jump before his physical body perished under the lake of Vormir. Or whether the jump would work at all. But probably it was better to not waste any more time.

"So we sit here, you hold onto me, and I press the button on the device? That work?" Natasha asked.

"Should be fine." As far as Steve knew, it did not matter who activated it.

"Wait … I think I saw the same movie. They kissed when time stopped, didn't they? Should we do that too? Like when we were on the run and had to pretend?" Natasha asked suddenly.

Steve was not sure how serious she was. "Are you just being silly?"

"No … not necessarily. I mean, if it increases the chances of it working."

"There were those other films, where gross things happen with teleportation if things are too close. I don't know how much this is the same, but better not take our chances."

Steve thought he saw clear disappointment on Natasha's face. He did not want this moment to go down like that, her being disappointed. After all there was no guarantee there would be anything after.

And it was not just that.

If he truly thought of it, at least right now, they had faced too much together for anything else to make sense. He had thought her gone, only to be allowed this chance. Honestly, it could not be wasted. Suddenly it was very clear to Steve what moving on would actually mean for him, and it was almost as if this realization washed away all the weariness from years of fighting.

As if he was suddenly much more alive again.

Therefore, no more hesitation. He leaned in and kissed Natasha. It lasted long enough to mean something. Her kissing him back had to mean something, too.

But then it was over, and they had to be all ready. Steve only hoped they would get to do that again, with even more meaning.

"I'll press it now," Natasha said.

"Yeah. You probably won't like the –"

Steve's words cut short as the handheld quantum device activated. The air rippled briefly, and then the make-believe Avengers office was empty.

* * *

"_Wow. That was … something. Hey, there are people walking around! Looks just like in the old photos. And you're right, the fashion sense sucks. But ... does this mean we made it? We can't be imagining them all, right?"_

"_Yeah. That would be too difficult. So … it does look like it. And I guess I must say ... Welcome to the past, Nat."_


End file.
